Fitting elastic shorts/pants with anatomically placed posterior pockets lined with insulating and conductive fabrics in which to hold heat/cold therapy after/before intramuscular buttock injections

ABSTRACT

A wearable garment with temperature control, that has a garment made of stretch material, having an upper waistband at a top, and a lower section at a bottom, the garment sized to extend around an upper torso of an individual, and the garment having side seams extending along the garment between the upper waistband and the lower section along two sides of the garment, the garment having a first pocket on a first side, and a second pocket on a second side, an inner insulation in each of said first and second pockets, and an outer insulation layer in each of said first and second pockets.

BACKGROUND

Frequent intramuscular injections into the buttocks can cause swelling, pain, knots and bruising. This can be particularly challenging during fertility treatments that require intramuscular injections be given into the buttocks daily for months at a time. Due to underlying nerves and vessels, the area of the buttock that can be used for intramuscular injection is limited to the upper outer quadrant of each buttock. Once there is swelling, knots or pain related to the injections, it can become challenging to avoid those areas when subsequent injections are made.

Most form fitting shorts/pants are made to be used in sports or as work-out gear. Although some do have a variety of non-traditional pocket locations, the inventor recognized that they are not in the correct zone where intramuscular injections are given into buttocks and typically allow migration of heat/cold therapy device away from a desired treatment area.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The smaller, more specifically located pockets will maintain the heat/cold therapy in the optimal location and allow for penetration of heat/cold into the affected tissue. The shorts will also be very low profile and will provide the wearer the option to use the garment under regular clothing if desired.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the Drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a rear view of the two pocket embodiment;

FIG. 2 shows a back view of the two pocket embodiment with pocket views;

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the two pocket embodiment;

FIG. 4 shows a rear view of the eight pocket embodiment;

FIG. 5 shows a back view of the eight pocket embodiment with pocket views; and

FIG. 6 shows a side view of the eight pocket embodiment;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Frequent intramuscular injections into buttocks can cause swelling, pain, knots and bruising. Once there is swelling, knots or pain it becomes challenging to avoid these areas during subsequent injections.

Injections that are more than 1 cc in volume should be given into a larger muscle, such as the Dorsogluteal and Ventrogluteal muscles of the buttock. In order to avoid injury to the large and important sciatic nerve that runs through the buttock, the injection must be nto a specific zone known as the “upper outer quadrant”. This “upper outer quadrant” limits your “usable space” to roughly only 25% of your buttock. Many women undergoing fertility treatments receive injections into this buttock muscle EVERY DAY for up to 3 months. The needles are 1.5 inches or longer in most cases to allow for the medication to be delivered deep enough into muscle to absorb correctly. Over time, knots, bruises, inflammation occur as the muscle and surrounding tissue is forced to deal with the trauma of repeated injections and aggravated by the constant infiltration of medication. The body's natural response to this “trauma” is to increase blood flow. This increased blood flow can cause inflammation, bruising, knot formation and pain.

It takes several days for the tissue to heal itself. Women are taught to “rotate” sites in order to avoid re-injuring a previous injection site that is healing. This can start to become difficult as the small zone on the buttocks becomes “overrun” with injection sites. A patient may need an injection into an area close to a previous site, causing even more inflammation and pain.

As a nurse that has worked in both emergency and surgical settings, I know the importance of ice and heat therapy to injured tissue. During my fertility treatments, I began a regime of “tissue maintenance” that truly reduced the inflammation and subsequent pain during my injection cycles. Each night after my injection I would place a cold pack to the area I just had just injected while placing a warm pack to the other buttock that had received an injection the previous night. The cold therapy worked to reduce the initial swelling and inflammatory response that happens immediately after any type of “tissue trauma”. The heat worked to soothe the tissue that was injected the previous night and aided in the reabsorption of any swelling back into the body. This truly helped decrease the discomfort during the injection cycle and increased compliance with my medication administration.

I had never seen a form fitting short or pants made with this specific utilization in mind. I was unable to find any type of form fitting garment with pockets starting at the side seams and extending only to mid buttock. Being situated in this “upper outer quadrant” of the buttocks is a medical term that I as a Registered Nurse have used for years to identify the anatomical zone where intramuscular injections of medication can be safely given. Keeping injections within this “zone” prevents injury to the sciatic nerve that runs through the gluteal muscles down to our lower extremities.

This invention effectively holds heat and cold packs in the exact location where an injection would be given and where tissue would benefit from cold/heat therapy.

The invention claimed here solves this problem. The shorts/pants are designed to hold a heat or cold pack in the anatomically correct zone where intramuscular buttock injections are given, which differs from traditional pocket placement. The thin, body forming properties of an elastic material such as spandex combined with the correctly placed pockets will keep the heat/cold therapy in the correct area of the injection site after administration. This will allow for the best maintenance of injection site tissue, reduce related complications and keep tissue of buttocks in optimal condition for continued administration in same area.

The claimed invention differs from what currently exists. Traditional pocket placement on pants/shorts covers a larger more central area of buttocks usually encompassing areas that would not need heat/cold therapy. Having an excess of pocket material allows the heat/cold thermal device to migrate or fall off the intended site and for the elastic properties of the pocket to be reduced. For intramuscular injections there is only a small quarter portion of buttock in the upper outer quadrant that is to be utilized for injections into muscle. These shorts will have anatomically correct pockets to effectively treat the area and allow the wearer to move around freely without compromising therapy.

Any form fitting or spandex shorts/pants I found had pockets that were either

-   1. Too big (causing the heat/cold packs to migrate off the intended     site) -   2. Too small to fit a cold/heat pack -   3. Only covered a portion of my target treatment zone -   4. Use some type of awkward compression bandage or velcro to secure     the heat/cold pack -   5. Are inefficiently lined causing a heat or cold “burn” to my skin.

The embodiment of my pocket placement will more effectively treat the intended area. The stability of the heat/cold pack within this more specifically placed pocket will allow the wearer to move around freely during therapy or wear under regular clothing if desired without compromising therapy. In order to get the pocket to cover the correct anatomical zone where intramuscular injections would be given, the pocket will extend to and be included in the side seams of garment allowing the thermal device to reach that upper/outer most portion of the Dorsogluteal and Ventrogluteal muscles. Rotating injection sites during frequent/daily gluteal injections is important and you really need to maximize your usable “real estate” of the buttock. This useable area extends out to the side seam and beyond the usual pocket placement.

The embodiment of my pocket lining creates a safety “barrier” between the heat or cold pack and the skin while also keeping the heat or cold from dissipating out the posterior of pocket.

The purpose of the two different pocket linings is to maintain the heat or cold therapy as long as possible with an insulating, retentive fabric and protect skin from thermal injury with an additional layer of conductive fabric. Current and traditional pant/short pockets, are not lined with materials that allows for safe transfer and penetration of heat/cold therapy on the “body side of inner pocket as well as heat/cold retentive fabric on the “atmosphere” side of inner pocket. Thermal skin injury can occur when you are warming up the heat packs in the microwave or putting frozen ice packs on skin for periods of time. The heat packs have the greatest potential to become hotter in one area more than another, creating a concentrated “hot spot” where thermal injury can occur. For the “body side” of the inner pocket, a protective thermally conductive type of fabric would be used to allow the heat or cold to transfer through to but also protect skin from overexposure. This could be an additional layer of the same form fitting material the main body of the shorts/pants are made of such as but not exclusively spandex or some type of thermally conductive material that allows a steady, yet controlled transfer of heat or cold through to skin. For the “atmosphere side” of the inner pocket a fabric such as but not exclusively Thinsulate, is used to reduce dissipation of heat/cold out of the posterior of pocket. Another embodiment uses four smaller pockets on each buttock. So, in the same location using the same single pocket a seam will be added in a cross pattern to compartmentalize four separate pockets with individual openings in which to insert the heat or cold pack. By having four separate smaller pockets this embodiment would still maintain function and produce additional advantages such as decreased migration of thermal device from intended treatment zone and even more targeted therapy.

FIG. 1 illustrates a two pocket embodiment from the rear of the garment. The garment 100 includes a waistband 105, and first and second pockets and two side seams 110, 120. Each of the side seams connects the rear of the garment, shown in FIG. 1, to the front of the garment. The first pocket 130 starts at the side seam 110, and extends to substantially halfway to the back rear seam 131. The pocket placement is in the upper outer quadrant.

Similarly, the second pocket 135 starts at the side seam 120 and extends through the upper outer quadrant. FIG. 2 shows the rear view, showing the different linings in the pocket. The interior or body side lining 200 is as described herein, formed of a lightly insulating material, such as spandex or the like. The outer insulation 210 is formed of a more heavily insulating material, such as Thinsulate.

FIG. 3 shows a side view, showing how the pocket for example 130 starts precisely on the side seam 110 and also shows the pocket extending.

FIG. 4 shows an 8 pocket embodiment, where there are 4 pockets 400, 401, 402 and 403 starting at the side seam 110 and extending through the upper quadrant. These 4 pockets each form an area in which heating or cooling materials can be placed. Each pocket is insulated as described herein.

The two pockets 400, 402 start at the side seam, and the two other pockets 401, 403 start at the distal edges of the first pocket. For example, the pocket 400 extends from the side seam 110 to a central pocket seam 410. The third pocket 401 extends from that central seam 410 to the end of the pocket at 412.

FIG. 5 shows a rear view, showing how each of the pockets, in the 8 pocket embodiment, such as pocket 401, includes exterior lining 510 and interior lining 520. FIG. 6 shows a side view, illustrating how the 2 pockets 400, 402 each start at the side seam of the garment 110.

The Version of The Invention Discussed Here Includes: 1. Pocket placed/attached to shorts/pants in the “upper outer quadrants” of garment's posterior. Upper, outer quadrant will be determined using waistband, crotch, center back seam and side seam of garment as landmarks. 2 The inner lining of pockets to be comprised of both insulating and protective layers of fabric. 3. Pockets extend laterally and are included in the side seams 4 of the garment.

Relationship Between The Components:

The pocket location being specific (FIG. 1 and FIG. 3) and only covering the upper outer quadrant of the posterior of shorts (as determined by consistent garment landmarks (seen in FIG. 1) works in conjunction with the retentive and protective properties of the pocket linings (shown in FIG. 2), to provide safe and effective hot/cold therapy to the correct treatment sites.

FIGS. 4-6 show the alternative embodiment, where each pocket 1 includes four sub pockets 5.

How The Invention Works:

The flexible, form fitting fabric, such as but not exclusively spandex allows the heat or cold therapy to maintain sufficient contact with the desired area. The main body of the pocket will be comprised of fabric layers. These layers will retain the effectiveness of the therapy longer while protecting the underlying skin from over exposure from heat or cold. The linings also increase durability of the pocket as heat or cold therapy is frequently inserted and removed from pocket. The borders of pockets will extend to and be included in the side seam of garment in order to provide optimal injection site coverage as well as increase stabilization and decrease mobility of the pocket during insertion or removal of heat/cold source.

How To Make The Invention:

A pattern of the design would be used and a sewing professional would cut pattern and sew it together as indicated on pattern instructions using selected material.

The pockets of the garment are the main design/utility component. The construction of the pocket including the material lining and placement of the pocket is necessary. Optional elements could be the addition of a button snap, elastic lining of top edge of the pocket opening or a zipper closure to keep heat/cold therapy inside The pockets could be made without additional lining and placed in a similar position on form fitting shorts or pants. The pockets could be placed in same location inside the garment.

Additionally the pockets could be placed on a garment that is more like underwear and not necessarily made of form fitting material.

How To Use The Invention:

The wearer puts on the garment and prepares heat or cold therapy as desired. They would then place the cold therapy in the pocket of the buttock that has recently received an intramuscular injection and place the heat therapy on the opposite side where the previous day's injection was given. They may also apply therapy to a single side if desired. The wearer may wear garment alone or under clothing until the desired amount of heat and/or cold therapy bas been achieved.

The previous description of the disclosed exemplary embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these exemplary embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A wearable garment with temperature control, comprising: a garment made of stretch material, having an upper waistband at a top, and a lower section at a bottom, the garment sized to extend around an upper torso of an individual, and the garment having side seams extending along the garment between the upper waistband and the lower section along two sides of the garment, the garment having a first pocket on a first side, extending from a first of the side seams to cover an upper outer quadrant in a mid buttock area of the user, and said first pocket not extending beyond the mid buttock area of the user and a second pocket on a second side, extending from a second of the side seams to an opposite mid buttock area of the user, and not extending beyond the mid buttock area of the user.
 2. The garment as in claim 1, further comprising an inner insulation layer in each of said first and second pockets, and an outer insulation layer in each of said first and second pockets.
 3. The garment as in claim 2, wherein the inner insulation layer has less insulating properties than the outer insulation layer.
 4. The garment as in claim 2, wherein the inner insulation layer is formed of a first layer which insulates and a second layer which provides a thermally conductive material that allows a steady yet controlled transfer of heat or cold through to the skin underneath the garment.
 5. The garment as in claim 2, wherein the inner insulation layer allows a steady control of heat or cold, and the outer insulation layer prevents transfer of heat or cold.
 6. The garment as in claim 1, wherein the first pocket provides multiple different sub pockets, each separate forming a separate compartment from the other sub pockets.
 7. The garment as in claim 6, wherein the first pocket includes 4 different sub pockets.
 8. The garment as in claim 7, wherein the 4 sub pockets include first and second pockets one over the other, and another third and fourth pockets one over the other directly adjacent to the first and second pockets one over the other, where the first and second pockets each extend from the side seam.
 9. A wearable garment with temperature control, comprising: a garment made of stretch material, having an upper waistband at a top, and a lower section at a bottom, the garment sized to extend around an upper torso of an individual, and the garment having side seams extending along the garment between the upper waistband and the lower section along two sides of the garment, the garment having a first pocket on a first side, and a second pocket on a second side, an inner insulation in each of said first and second pockets, and an outer insulation layer in each of said first and second pockets.
 10. The garment as in claim 9, wherein the first pocket extending from a first of the side seams to cover an upper outer quadrant in a mid buttock area of the user, and said first pocket not extending beyond the mid buttock area of the user a second pocket on a second side, extending from a second of the side seams to an opposite mid buttock area of the user, and not extending beyond the mid buttock area of the user.
 11. The garment as in claim 9, wherein the inner insulation has less insulating properties than the outer insulation.
 12. The garment as in claim 9, wherein the inner insulation layer is formed of a first layer which insulates and a second layer which provides a thermally conductive material that allows a steady yet controlled transfer of heat or cold through to the skin underneath the garment.
 13. The garment as in claim 9, wherein the inner insulation layer allows a steady control of heat or cold, and the outer insulation layer prevents transfer of heat or cold.
 14. The garment as in claim 9, wherein the first pocket provides multiple different sub pockets, each separate forming a separate compartment from the other sub pockets.
 15. The garment as in claim 14, wherein the first pocket includes 4 different sub pockets.
 16. The garment as in claim 15, wherein the 4 sub pockets include first and second pockets one over the other, and another third and fourth pockets one over the other directly adjacent to the first and second pockets one over the other, where the first and second pockets each extend from the side seam. 